14 Healthy Cauliflower Recipes Beyond Just Pizza Crust

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“Welcome to adulthood. A cauliflower substitute has replaced all of the carbs you once loved.”

“Use cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes, rice, and any joy in your life.”

“If cauliflower can become pizza, then you, my friend, can become anything”.

You might have come across some of these popular memes on social media. Beyond just being downright funny, they’re also true – cauliflower really is that versatile. What’s more, it’s jam-packed with nutritional benefits and is anti-inflammatory, low in carbohydrates, and high in antioxidants and fiber. It can be roasted, fried, baked, steamed, or made into sauces. You can use it to make cauliflower mac ‘n’ cheese or Shepherd’s Pie, or add it to a roux sauce, a creamy soup, or a casserole.

Feeling inspired? Here are some recipe ideas to get you started.

Cauliflower Pizza with Greek Yogurt Pesto and Grilled Vegetables

Okay, we had to start with cauliflower pizza, because this low-carb crust is so crispy you won’t even miss the real thing. Oh and it’s cheesy, too. This recipe calls for vegetable toppings, but you can get creative with your own combinations once you’ve mastered the technique for the base.

Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic

While the potato has long been the reigning king of comfort vegetables, this mashed cauliflower dish gives it some stiff competition. Not only is it as creamy, filling, and indulgent as a potato mash, but the roasted bulbs of garlic add a distinct warmth to the whole dish.

Cauliflower Gnocchi

This gnocchi recipe is paleo, gluten-free, and made with just two ingredients – bingo! A combination of cauliflower and cassava flour, these gnocchi are served with a rich, creamy, and dairy-free spinach sauce to make for a dish that is impossible to resist.

Spiced Cauliflower Couscous

Why stop at rice? All it takes is a slightly finer processing method and you’ve suddenly opened up a whole new world of recipe ideas. Pair your cauliflower couscous with dates and chicken in a plum-based sauce, or toss in some garlic and herbs. Or better yet, make this spiced recipe instead. It calls for hazelnuts, pine nuts, orange peel, chili flakes, cilantro, currants, chickpeas, and a dash of coconut oil for a flavor combination that your taste buds won’t soon forget.

Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto

If rice can give you risotto, then so can cauliflower rice. This paleo, gluten-free recipe is creamy, rich, and utterly delicious, using vegan cheese to complement the meaty and moreish taste of mushrooms.

Gluten-Free Vegan Cauliflower Hash Browns

It’s hard to believe that a simple cauliflower could do a beloved dish like this justice, but in this case, it truly does. These vegan, gluten-free patties are perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender and velvety on the inside, just like a good hash brown should be – except they’re also made of cauliflower.

Plant-Based Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower soup is an old favorite for many, but this recipe foregoes the usual use of chicken stock in favor of a plant-based mix instead. Pungent garlic, sweet white onion, cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast, creamy coconut milk, and vegetable stock are thickened up with arrowroot powder for a rich concoction to get you through any cold night.

Low-Carb Cauliflower Creamed Spinach

The problem with traditional creamed spinach is just how heavy the dish can be. This version, on the other hand, allows you all of the indulgence but with a much smaller serving of the traditional cream-sauce ingredients, thanks to its hefty helping of silken, puréed cauliflower. Bonus: This sauce isn’t just good for creamed spinach; it makes for a great cauliflower-based version of potato gratin as well.

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

Buffalo sauce and tacos. Need we say more? Whether you’re vegan, looking to shift to a more plant-based diet, or just trying to get more vegetables into your meals, you’ll find these to be just as satisfying as buffalo chicken tenders. In this case, the buffalo sauce drenches juicy little cauliflower florets instead. The spicy sauce is perfectly balanced by the tangy avocado-based cream – and if you’re anything like us, you’ll want seconds.

One-Pan Cauliflower Nachos

Oh, the joy of a one-pan recipe. Simply toss your cauliflower (seasoned with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper) onto a baking sheet, roast, and then load with literally any combination of toppings you desire.

Cauliflower Mac ‘n’ Chicken Casserole

Who every said mac ‘n’ cheese was just a side? Add in some chicken and switch up a few of the ingredients and you’ve got yourself a fairly substantial and nourishing meal. In this recipe, traditional macaroni is replaced with gluten-free, ancient-grain pasta, while cauliflower is layered as a base, where your kids won’t see it.

Vegan Sloppy Joes with Cauliflower

This Sloppy Joe recipe uses cauliflower instead of meat, but it packs just as much flavor as the original. Pop the deliciously sloppy mixture into some gluten-free buns and you’ve got yourself an impressive vegan and paleo dish.

"Everything Bagel”-Topped Cauliflower Rolls

This gluten-free, paleo-friendly recipe provides the perfect alternative to a roll. Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it’s a fine, rice-like consistency, then combine it with eggs, almond flour, coconut flour, garlic powder, and salt. Next, add in the “Everything Bagel” topping, which has acquired quite the cult following, before baking to create fluffy, warm, and fragrant rolls.

Cauliflower Rice-Stuffed Peppers

If you’re a fan of koosa or vine leaves, you’ll love this recipe, which can also be adapted for other vegetables once you’ve mastered it. Shred some cauliflower into rice, season it with garlic, salt, and pepper, then mix it up with beans, salsa, and spices. Once your peppers are stuffed, baked, and tender, add some toppings, like avocado, lime juice, hot sauce, and cilantro.